Power of Sensitivity
Responsible Ski Touring requires a sensitivity to what is below the surface and the important links between, seemingly disconnected, bits of information.
One of the things that an adventurer can develop over time is sensitivity. Sensitivity to intrinsic information, others, the environment and the spirit of the place. Through sensitivity we are gifted with relevant information that would be impossible to collect otherwise. The sailing of the Polynesian ship the Hokulea, is perhaps the best example of sensitivity in action. Those aboard the Hokulea have the ability to navigate the Pacific Ocean, without instrumentation of any kind. Imagine being on that vast ocean with only your sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and your sixth sense to guide you. This feat allows these adventurers to be fully human.
Sensitivity is a fading skillset. Those who have not practiced spacial literacy through sensitivity have to be told where they are by their technology. Without their mechanical or digital tools they would be hopelessly lost. Is this a metaphor for our current sociocultural paradigm? Have we abandoned using our cognition to rely on an extrinsic device to point the way? Is this dependency not frightening to us? Has our engagement in the process of staying found has almost disappeared?
We also have a siloed approach to thinking, which means that we see the world in a way that separates everything instead of seeing the connections. If we couple these ideas with the notion that we no longer see links between things, we can say that fundamentally, we are profoundly disengaged.
So how do these ideas apply to our current global situation? It is not a stretch to say dependency is happening across our culture. We trust extrinsic information sources too much to navigate serious social, cultural and political events that we have a responsibility to see, understand and take action upon.
Global markets have been propped up for decades. The climate crisis means that there is a need for total social and political control in order to affect change. Because of these two things we all might agree that we need to bring in new financial and political systems. In the minds of the financial and political elite the only way to make change happen is for them to take control. And the elite are using their leverage to make what they want to happen a reality, and so far it is working for them, but not for us.
While we are not being told this is happening, everything is right before our eyes, and we are simply looking the other way because the notion of such a shift is so destabilizing to the average human that most of us say. . . “It can’t be happening!” But our denial will be costly to our and the next generations future.
This is classic Carl Jung; “That which we fail to bring into consciousness will show up and we will call it fate.” In other words, we would rather pretend that the ugliness will go away if we cast our gaze elsewhere. Then when bad things happen, we can say “it was destiny.”
Our leaders entice us through the next irreversible step by telling us that if we do this, “Things will go back to normal.” But the old normal is gone forever. Draconian change is bearing down on all of us, yet none of this can happen without our cooperation. In Canada we are cooperating like few other countries.
It is true that change needs to happen. While it seems like our choices are about a pandemic, but so far they have been FOR draconian change. We need benevolent change rather than draconian change.
What adventurers do can be incredibly important to humanity. We can become more human by fostering sensitivity to ourselves, others and the environment and work to develop our real potential. But in the new draconian world, do you think that they will want sensitive, free thinking adventurers? Those days are numbered for all adventurers.
This is my call out to do something about it. Here is what we can do:
1) Use real world information. Find out what is happening in your communities, for yourself.
2) Notice efforts to undermine information. Notice censorship.
3) Be skeptical if you are told something is safe remember that nothing is ever 100% safe. Look to people who will tell you the down sides or potential complications so you can make informed choices.
4) Follow the money to discern who has a stake.
5) Make connections with people and build relationship.
6) Question authority.
7) Be very wary of policies that limit freedom, because we will all lose our freedom.
8) Recognize and support processes that address the wonder and complexity of nature.